Roger Ebert Is Again Battling Cancer

If we could grant two huge "thumbs down" to this news, we would: We're saddened to report that Roger Ebert is facing yet another battle with cancer.

Ebert, 70, broke the news April 2 in a blog post titled 'A Leave of Presence.'

He said that in the past year he's done more reviewing and writing than ever before, but that he needs to step back and focus on his health, explaining, "The 'painful fracture' that made it difficult for me to walk has recently been revealed to be a cancer."

"It is being treated with radiation, which has made it impossible for me to attend as many movies as I used to. I have been watching more of them on screener copies that the studios have been kind enough to send to me," he added.

"My friend and colleague Richard Roeper and other critics have stepped up and kept the newspaper and website current with reviews of all the major releases. So we have and will continue to go on."

Ever the trooper, Ebert still plans on working -- but with a caveat.

"I am not going away," he assured. "My intent is to continue to write selected reviews but to leave the rest to a talented team of writers handpicked and greatly admired by me. What's more, I'll be able at last to do what I've always fantasized about doing: reviewing only the movies I want to review."